Classic Crave: Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

I’m a big fan of the author’s Big Stone Gap series and I believe this was her first novel not set in Big Stone Gap.

The first chapter is set in present day, and so is the last; but the rest is a glimpse into Lucia’s life from 1950-1952 and what it’s like to be an Italian woman in Greenich Village from a large family.

Lucia is torn between her duty as a daughter and her desire to be a career woman (as a seamstress in B. Altmon’s custom department) and the expectations of a woman to settle down, cook, clean and raise children.

I thought this was extremely well-written and it reminded me of hearing about my grandmother’s young adulthood in New York City. The novel has good pacing, and some good twists in the storyline. It’s almost historical fiction. A very enjoyable read.